


Lost Souls

by knightsofreyloreborn



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Angst, Ben and Rey are close in age there's only a few years difference between them, Blood and Injury, Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Reylo - Freeform, Robin Hood AU, Robin Hood!Rey, Sheriff!Ben Solo, Slow Burn, Swearing, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-20
Updated: 2020-05-11
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:35:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22824178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/knightsofreyloreborn/pseuds/knightsofreyloreborn
Summary: Rey's parents were killed by the Sheriff of Nottingham when she was nine years old.  Ben Solo had been taken away from his home when he was five years old and raised under the Sheriff's rule.  Now Rey is the vigilante that is stealing the Sheriff's money and Ben has been tasked with stopping her, but will he be able to kill the captivating young woman who waltzes into his life by accident?
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 13
Kudos: 13





	1. Prologue

The village was on fire and Rey’s nose burned with the acrid smell of smoke. She had woken up to the smell and the sounds of screaming. Her mother came rushing into the room, there was ash on her face and sweat making run lines in the ash. She was panicked and flustered, Rey briefly wondered where her father was.

“Rey, darling, you have to hurry. Pack a bag, only what you need, nothing else,” her mother said as she shoved a bag at Rey. “Do not question me and do as I say, do you understand?” Rey wasn’t entirely sure what was happening, but she nodded her head and began to do as she was told.

Her mother disappeared out the door again to let Rey pack while she got other things together. When her mother returned Rey had gotten her bag packed and was ready to go. “What’s happening?” Rey asked her mother.

“The Sheriff of Nottingham is here, he’s attacking.” There was more to this story that her mother wasn’t telling her, but Rey didn’t pry for answers. “I need you to go with Leia and her husband Han, you like them right?” Rey nodded her head, she knew the Organa-Solo family well, she had played with their son when they were kids that was until he disappeared one night and was never heard from again. “I love you, darling,” her mother kissed the crown of her head and led her outside where the entire village was on fire and was ushered into the arms of Leia Organa-Solo.

“Are you sure you can’t come with us?” Leia questioned, as she looked at the distraught woman before her.

Rey’s mother shook her head, “No, I have to stay here and make sure he doesn’t know what happened. Go, get her to safety.”

Han took off leaving behind Rey’s mother and Rey screaming for her mother to come with them. That was the last time Rey saw her mother. She heard later that the Sheriff of Nottingham had murdered both her mother and father. Rey had never considered herself a violent person, but after that night she vowed that she would get revenge on the Sheriff even if it was the last thing that she ever did.


	2. Chapter One

ELEVEN YEARS LATER

_ Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.  _

The sound of arrows embedding themselves into a tree alerted Rey to the fact that the Sheriff’s men had caught up to her and that she should probably run. Quickly picking up the bags of gold she had just robbed from a local caravan she darted off into the woods with the Sheriff’s men right behind her. Her horse Bee wasn’t too far away and once she managed to get on him she should have been able to put distance between her and the Sheriff’s men.

Rey could hear the men shouting behind her as she ran as fast as she could, her hood pulled up over her head so that they couldn’t see her, a scarf covering the lower half of her face. It had been a few years since she had started doing this, and the idiots had only recently figured out that the hooded figure that was robbing them was a woman. She had laughed with her friend Poe about how idiotic the men the Sheriff employed were.

“Stop thief!” One of the men shouted as she dodged yet another arrow that was sent flying her way. 

“Tell the Sheriff, I send my warmest regards!” She called over her shoulder as she caught sight of Bee several feet in front of her, an anxious look on the horse’s face. She leapt up onto Bee’s back and spurred him forward.

Leia was going to kill her when she got back to the little village in the forest about ten miles away, but she was okay with that. They needed to take down that caravan and the gold that was on the way to the Sheriff. It was the only way to make sure Palpatine didn’t get what he was after, total control of the continent. He had come close several times before Rey was born. Leia’s own father had been Palpatine’s student, but then she along with her brother Luke had taken him down. They thought that they had seen the last of him until the night her parents had been murdered.

Rey couldn’t remember much about them. All the years without them by her side and some things had started to fade. She couldn’t remember what her mother’s perfume had smelled like or how their voices had sounded as they told her stories. Leia and her husband Han had been kind to her as she had grown up in their household, and she considered them parents, but there were times she wished that she still had her own parents.

She wished that she didn’t have to steal and be on the run all the time. She just wanted to be free from the war that she was waging against the Sheriff. 

She was leaving her pursuers behind in the dust, thinking that just a few more miles and she would be free. However, she was wrong. From her right came a dark figure on top of an imposing horse, one that was much larger than Bee. He pulled a knife out of his thigh holster and swung in at her. Rey managed to move Bee out of the way barely dodging the attack.

She glanced over at the new figure, she had heard rumors of Sheriff Palpatine’s apprentice and this was the first she was seeing of him. He was frowning, his eyes narrowed as he looked at her. There was something oddly familiar about his features and Rey felt like she knew that man who was glaring at her.

“Give up!” He shouted at her as he once again fell in beside her. “The Sheriff may be inclined to lighten your sentence if you return the gold you’ve stolen.”

Rey let out a laugh, “In your dreams. The Sheriff doesn’t deserve it.” She swerved to miss a tree and he did the same. It gave her a moment to plot how she was going to get out of this.

“Thief!” He cried in anger as she gained a little distance between them.

Rey patted Bee’s neck, “Hang in there Bee, we’re going to get out of this.” She grabbed an arrow from her quiver and quickly knocked it. Turning she aimed it at the man who barely registered what she was doing before she fired, it hit him in the chest, the shock nearly knocking him off his horse and tumbling to the ground. The little falter in his actions let Rey gain the advantage that she needed and deciding to take the long way home turned Bee in the opposite direction from where she had been headed in the first place.

The man slowed his horse, curses falling from his lips as he yanked the arrow out of his shoulder. He grimaced in pain as the metal tip tore at his flesh and left a fresh trail of blood running down his chest. He looked at the tip of the arrow before looking up to see the woman heading in the opposite direction from the way she had been originally headed. He narrowed his eyes and wondered where it was she was going, and if he could find her.

The men caught up to him and began inquiring about his well-being. “I’m fine,” he snapped at them. He wrapped the arrow in a spare piece of cloth and put it in with his own arrows. “Let’s get back to the Sheriff,” he said before turning his horse around and heading back to Nottingham.

When Rey arrived back at the little village she called home, she was greeted by her friend Poe who was checking on Bee for any signs of injuries. “He’s fine,” Rey said as she hopped down off of Bee’s back. “Had a little run-in with the Sheriff’s men, but it wasn’t nothing I couldn’t handle.”

Poe tilted his head and raised an eyebrow at her, “Leia isn’t pleased.”

“When is Leia ever pleased?” She said light-heartedly.

“This isn’t some joke, Rey,” Poe scolded. “You know that Sheriff Palpatine has upped his guards and knows to expect you. One of these days you’re going to have a run-in with that new apprentice of his that our spies have told us about.” Rey looked away and busied herself with her packs of gold on Bee’s back. “Oh my God, you had a run-in with him didn’t you?”

“Maybe,” Rey said unconvincingly.

Poe grabbed her shoulder and forced her to stop what she was doing, “He didn’t follow you did he?”

She gave Poe and exasperated look, “Do you really think I’m that bad at my job that I would allow him to follow me? I shot him with an arrow and high tailed it out of there. I took the long way home just to be safe.”

“Rey!” The sound of Leia’s voice had both Rey and Poe freezing in their places. The angry older woman approached the two of them and before she could say another word Poe had vanished leaving Rey to fave Leia alone. “What did I tell you?” She asked angrily. “I asked you not to go out there and raid that supply caravan today didn’t I?” She asked before Rey could respond. “But did you listen? No, no you didn’t.”

“It was a big shipment Leia, we couldn’t just let it get to Nottingham,” Rey argued. “I made a judgment call and all went well, no one followed me and I’m not even hurt!”

“That’s not the problem,” Leia hissed. “The problem is that you don’t follow orders!”

“Go easy on her, Leia,” Han said calmly as he approached the two women. “You and I both know that once Rey has her mindset on something she isn’t going to let it go so easily.” He shot Rey a wink before looking back at his wife and taking her hand. “Now let’s go back home and get ready for the dinner that we had planned. You know everyone is looking forward to this party tonight.”

Leia reluctantly agreed and Rey made her way through the village toward Luke’s workshop where she was going to leave the gold so he could change it that way the Sheriff couldn’t trace it. He was hunched over his desk when she entered, the bags of gold slung over her shoulders. “I’ve come bearing gifts,” she said.

Luke turned and saw Rey standing in his doorway with the bags. “Ah Rey, I wasn’t expecting to see you today. I thought Leia gave strict orders not to go after the caravan?”

“When do I ever listen,” she said jokingly as she laid the bags on one of the work tables before walking over to where Luke was. “What are you working on?”

On the table before him was a sword, it looked older than what the men used these days. “This was my father’s sword. I’ve been working on restoring it,” he told her. “It’s considered a relic now, but it’s still good for its age.”

The metal was one like Rey had never seen before. It had a bluish hue to it and in the metal was delicate designs. The hilt was made on a darker metal wrapped in black leather. Rey could tell whoever had it had taken good care of it for it to still be in near perfect condition like this. “May I hold it?” Luke nodded and allowed Rey to pick it up. The sword didn’t feel heavy or awkward in her hands and she admired it in the low light of Luke’s shop. “It feels like it was meant to be held by me.”

Luke chuckled, “Maybe I’ll let you use it one of these days, especially if you’re going to keep going out on missions like this.” He took the sword back and laid it down carefully. “Go get ready for this evening. I already know you’re on Leia’s bad side, we don’t want you to be in even more trouble if you’re late for the party.”

Rey said her farewells before dashing out the door to head to Leia and Han’s home to change. Luke looked back at his father’s sword and sighed. He prayed to God that history didn’t repeat itself and that they would be able to defeat Palpatine soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope y'all like the Robin Hood AU! I'm still working on In a Sea of Stars right now, but I'll hopefully be able to update that one soon.


	3. Chapter Two

Sheriff Palpatine stood over Ben as he was stitched up by the doctor. He had a disapproving look on his face and Ben was studiously ignoring the older man. Ben had known that Palpatine wasn’t going to be pleased with what had happened, but there was nothing that could be done. He had been shot for God’s sake!

“You let her get away,” his voice was dangerously low. “This was the biggest shipment of the month and you let that thief make away with half of it!” Ben flinched at the level at which Sheriff Palpatine’s voice rose. “Now we have no idea where she is or where the money is.”

Ben finally looked over at the Sheriff, “I have plans to find her, as soon as it’s first light I’m going to go after her. I won’t let you down.”

“You already have,” he growled before stepping out of the room.

Ben clenched his teeth and as soon as the doctor was done with the stitches he excused himself. He was shrugging on his jacket and heading toward his rooms when he ran into Hux. This was the last person that Ben wanted to deal with. “I heard that you couldn’t manage to capture the woman,” Ben could hear the smugness in his tone.

“Leave me alone, Hux. I don’t feel like dealing with your condescension today.”

Hux grabbed Ben’s arm as he passed and forced the other man to stop, there was a sadistic smile on his face, “You’ve always been Sheriff Palpatine’s favorite, but I can’t wait until the day he realizes that you’re nothing. Then maybe he’ll put more faith in me when it comes to capturing the vigilante.”

“Are you done?” Ben looked at Hux and glared. “Because I have places that I need to be that are more important than listening to you brag about something that will never happen.”

Hux released Ben’s arm and Ben left before the other man could get another word in. He hated Hux with his entire being, the two of them had been pitted against one another since the time that Ben had been brought to Sheriff Nottingham. He couldn’t remember much of his life before he had come here. But there was one thing that stood out the most to him.

There was a girl in many of his memories. He couldn’t remember her name, but she was there and he knew that they had been close. Sometimes he tried to imagine what she looked like now and if she was doing all right. Was she married? Did she have kids? Was she even still alive? She was really the only thing keeping him going.

The hope that they would one day meet again and maybe this nightmare would end for him. Palpatine was never going to let him go, he would rather see Ben dead than let him go.

Ben also knew that Palpatine was looking for someone. Whenever Ben joined Palpatine and the other Lords and members of his group for meetings Palpatine would inquire about a missing person. Who Palpatine was after he had no idea. He kept the identity of that person a secret from Ben.

Hux sometimes lorded it over Ben that he knew something that Palpatine’s pet didn’t. It took all of Ben’s strength to not hall off and hit Hux in those moments, but he tried to keep his rage in check the best he could. For now, he was going to go to his room and try and get some rest after the day’s events he deserved it. He could figure out how to catch the vigilante later.

The village was bustling with activity the next day when Ben made the trip from Palpatine’s headquarters. He liked coming here and being in the swarms of people and blending in. He liked feeling invisible, granted sometimes that was hard when he was taller than some of the people he merged in with on his way deeper into the village.

On this day it was no different, except for one thing. As he was moving through the open-air market just admiring the wares the women and men were trying to sell he spotted a woman. Her hair was covered as most women had, and she wore and simple dark green gown. She had a smile on her face as she handed over some coins to the woman at the fruit stall.

Ben couldn’t take his eyes off of her and there was a sense of familiarity about her. Like he knew her, but he wasn’t sure from where. He was sure he hadn’t seen her in these parts before. He would have remembered her if he had.

As if she could feel him watching her, she looked up and their gazes locked. He thought he saw a flicker of recognition in her eyes before she schooled her features and quickly turned away from him and tried blending in with the crowd. Ben’s heart started to race, he couldn’t let her go yet, not without at least knowing her name.

“Wait!” Ben called as he tried to maneuver quickly and carefully through the crowded street. “Please miss, wait!” He called again as he tried desperately to catch up with her. When he did, he caught her hand, “Miss, wait.”

She stopped and turned to look up at him, “Can I help you, sir?” There was an accent to her voice, she wasn’t from around these parts. Maybe he had moved her, maybe she had a husband.

“I’m sorry if I startled you, I just…. Have we met before? You look so familiar to me and I just felt like we’ve met.” He was staring into her hazel eyes, that feeling of he should know her not leaving him. He knew that he knew her but he couldn’t figure out from where.

“I don’t think we have,” she said quickly. “I’m only passing through these parts as I’m going to meet with some of my family.”

“Hmmm, I’m sorry to have slowed you down,” he told her. “Do you need an escort? I would be happy to help you, there’s been a thief in the area and I would hate for you to run into them.”

The woman smiled politely, “I’m traveling with my brother, I’m supposed to meet him in the square soon, I’ll be well protected, but thank you for the offer.”

Ben’s heart dropped, but at least she didn’t say that her husband was waiting for her. “Before you go, can I please have your name?”

She hesitated, but then offered a simple, “Kira, my name is Kira.” He released her hand and she looked toward the square, “I need to go, maybe we’ll see each other again--”

“Ben,” he told her, it was only fair that she knows his name as well.

“Ben,” she repeated. “Then maybe we’ll see one another again, Ben.” With that, she turned and hurried off. Ben watched as she made it to the square and met with a tall man with thick black hair. They didn’t looked like they would be siblings, but he didn’t know her story, she could be orphaned or maybe she had been abandoned and the man’s family took her in, or maybe it was the other way around. He didn’t know, but he tried not to be jealous by the smile she gave him and how she easily linked her arm through his.

All he could do now was hope that they met again someday soon.

Rey rushed over to Poe, glad to be away from Ben. When she had seen him staring at her she froze for a moment wondering if he would be able to tell if she was the hooded and masked figure he had just fought the day prior. Then he had said he felt like he knew her and she just wanted to bolt right then and there.

When he had asked for her name she had to act quickly and gave him the first thing that popped into her head. Kira had been the name her father had wanted to name her, or at least according to Leia it had been the name he had picked out for her. Her mother had won out in the end and had named her Rey.

“Who were you talking to?” Poe asked, he hadn’t been able to see the man’s face, but he had seen a man stop Rey as she was coming to meet him. Rey hadn’t appeared to be in any danger so he hung back and watched.

Rey smiled up at him, but Poe knew her smiles, this one was fake. “It was Sheriff Palpatine’s right-hand man. He was the one that almost caught me yesterday, the one I shot.”

“Jesus Rey,” he started but she shushed him. “What?”

“He asked for my name and I told him it was Kira, while we’re here my name is Kira,” she whispered to him, hoping that no one had heard his slip of the tongue. “I don’t want anyone knowing my true identity here.”

“Got it, but are you sure you’re okay?” He was worried that the man had figured out who she was.

“I’m sure, but just in case we should go. I lied and said we were on our way to see family, let’s not linger any longer,” she tugged on his arm and they headed out of the town together and back toward their own village. “I would appreciate it if you didn’t tell Leia about this. I don’t want her to limit my trips to the village.”

Poe’s face told her that he didn’t like the thought of lying to Leia like this. “I don’t know, Kira,” the way he said Kira like it felt unnatural made her giggle a little. “She should know just in case something else happens. She’s in charge for a reason, you never know what could happen. What if I’m not with you and something happens? I may not be around to alert Leia to something being wrong and then what?”

“You’re worrying too much over nothing,” she said as nonchalantly as she could. “No one knows about my other identity, we’ll be fine.”

Poe still didn’t like the thought of keeping Leia in the dark about this, but he promised to keep it a secret from her. Rey glanced back at the village and wondered if she could use Ben’s curiosity against him. Maybe she could use him for information. It was going to be a tricky game she was planning to play, but if it helped them win the war against Sheriff Palpatine then she was willing to do anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you haven't already you can check out my Dark!Rey fic "In a Sea of Stars". It's a role reversal where Rey trained under Luke and Ben never took Jedi lessons and instead became a smuggler like his dad. Also I hope you're liking this one so far. I think what I'm going to try to do is update this one twice every other week and then update IASOS on the weeks when I'm not updating this one. So we'll see how that goes. I love hearing your thoughts so feel free to comment!


	4. Chapter Three

It had been nearly a week since Rey had run into Ben at the village and she hadn’t been on a gold run in that time either. Leia was keeping an eye on her when it came time for new gold shipments. It would be a while before Rey could go on another one. She had spent most of her time with Luke practicing her sword and archery skills. The older man hadn’t been too happy about the training at first, but she had worn him down and she was also pretty sure Leia had said something to her twin.

Today however she wanted to go to the village and see if she could seek out Ben again. He had seemed interested in her the week prior, and she wondered why he thought that he knew her. She was almost certain that she didn’t know him, though he did resemble some she had known a long time ago as well.

The village was packed as always and Rey simply wandered around the stalls and looking out for the tall man. He was nowhere to be seen at the moment, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t locate him sooner rather than later.

She was starting to give up hope when she spotted him talking with several guards that were on duty. He hadn’t noticed her yet and she took a moment to study him. He had a stern look on his face, a far cry from the curious look he had given her the days prior. He was all business right now and she wondered if she should disturb him right now.

She was ready to turn and leave when he looked over and saw her staring at him. He straightened and said something to the guards before making his way through the crowd. “Lady Kira, you’re back,” were the first words out of his mouth. “How was your visit with your family?”

“Uneventful,” she replied with a small smile on her face. She needed to turn up the charm if she had any hopes of keeping him around. “I wanted to come back and do some more shopping today. I saw you talking to the guards over there and I wanted to say hello, but I wasn’t sure if I should bother you.”

He smiled at her and said, “Feel free to bother me anytime you wish, my Lady. I’m at your disposal.”

She smiled and ducked her head demurely, “That’s very kind of you, sir.”

Ben cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck with his hands, “Is there anything in particular that you’re looking for today? I would be more than happy to show you around today, assuming that you don’t have an escort.” She noticed that he began scanning the crowd looking for Poe.

“My brother isn’t with me today, sir. He stayed home with our mother. I thought I’d make the trip by myself.”

Ben frowned, “My Lady, I don’t think that’s wise. Remember what I told you? There is a thief in the area robbing people, what would you do if they came upon you all by yourself?”

“You don’t need to worry about me,” she told him as she placed a hand on his arm reassuringly. “I don’t think a thief would bother little, old me.”

Ben still didn’t look convinced, “You never know, this thief has no morals.” 

Rey went to fire back that she did have morals, that it was him that didn’t have any, but then she remembered he had no idea who she really was and bit her tongue. “It’s kind of you to worry, but I’ll be perfectly safe out there, I’m not as weak as I appear to be.”

“I meant no disrespect, Lady Kira. I would just hate to see anything happen to a lovely young lady such as yourself.”

Rey chuckled, “Well thank you.” She looked around the shops and said, “Tell me, do you know of a good sweet shop around here? I would love to pick up some sweets for my family.” She wanted to get away from the subject of the thief before she let anything slip about her other identity.

Ben offered his arm to her, “I know the perfect place. I frequent it quite a lot actually.”

Gently she placed her hand in the crook of his elbow and allowed him to lead her off in the direction of the confectionary shop. They would stop when Rey noticed a stall or shop she wanted to peer into. In one shop there was a dress that Rey admired, she normally didn’t like wearing dresses, in her village, she walked around in breeches that had been altered to fit her. It helped that it was freeing, but she also couldn’t help but admire a beautiful gown when she saw one.

It was a deep green like the trees in the forest, and on the skirt were delicate flower designs in varying shades of purple, pink, and blue. The bodice had the same delicate flowers but unlike the skirt, there were beads as well to add to the design. The sleeves were trumpet sleeves and if she were to spin in circles would flair out with the skirt. It was the loveliest thing she had ever seen and Rey could imagine herself wearing it to a ball or party, but unfortunately, there would be no balls or parties fancy enough for this dress in her near future.

“It would look lovely on you,” Ben complimented when he noticed her staring longingly at the gown. “You should buy it, Lady Kira.”

Rey smiled sadly at him, “I have nowhere to wear it unfortunately, it would be a waste. Come, we still need to make it to this sweet shop you’ve promised to take me too.”

“Very well,” Rey could tell that he wasn’t entirely happy that she was leaving the dress behind, but she hadn’t been lying when she said that she had nowhere to wear it. 

She didn’t go to fancy balls or parties. It was just her, Han, and Leia in their home, and when there were parties she fit in with the dresses that she had. If she wore something that fancy then she would stand out like a sore thumb.

The two went a few doors down and Rey could already smell the sweets from inside the shop. The man on the other side of the counter smiled at Ben as he entered. “Ah Master Ben, I was wondering if I would see you soon.” He noticed Rey and asked, “And who is your lovely friend?”

“This is Lady Kira, she’s visiting from out of town. Lady Kira this is Tekka,” he introduced the two.

“It’s a pleasure,” Rey said politely.

“The pleasure is all mine, my Lady,” Tekka gave her a polite smile and glanced back at Ben. “Did you come for anything specific? I have all of your favorites.”

“I’ll take a few of each of them if you don’t mind.” He began pointing to the sweets that Tekka had displayed, “Try the candied almonds and the gingerbread. I’m sure your family will love those.”

Rey nodded and gave Tekka her order. He happily obliged the couple and handed over the orders when they were done. Before Rey could pay though Ben was handing over a handful of coins to Tekka and was ushering Rey from the shop knowing he was about to get an earful from the small woman.

“I am perfectly capable of buying my own food, sir,” she frowned at him, placing her hands on her hips and looking up at him with her disapproving look.

Ben couldn’t help but laugh at the pout that was forming, “I wasn’t about to let you pay for all of that, it would have been ungentlemanly of me.”

“The least you could have done was ask me if you could pay for me, I may have said yes,” she looked away not liking the way his smile was making her heart beat just a little bit faster. He wasn’t like she had pictured in her mind. He seemed genuinely nice, not something she had expected from one of Palpatine’s men.

He shook his head, his shoulders shaking from laughter, “Would you have said yes if I had asked you?”

Rey looked back at him and pursed her lips, “Well no, I wouldn’t have--”

“Hence why I paid for you,” he responded. “Just enjoy them, they’re my treat.”

Rey knew that he was going to be just as stubborn as she was so she let the subject drop. They began walking back the way they came and Rey noticed that it was getting later in the day. “I should go,” she said suddenly. “It’s getting later and I don’t want my family to worry.”

“Let me walk you back,” he offered, he saw how dark it was getting worried about the thief that was still lurking in the woods.

Rey shook her head, “You won’t win this round, good sir. I can manage on my own. Thank you for the lovely afternoon and for showing me Tekka’s shop. I’m sure we’ll be seeing each other very soon.”

Ben went to say something else, but Rey was already disappearing into the crowd. He didn’t bother chasing after her because he knew she wasn’t going to let him win this time after the stunt he pulled at the sweet shop. He stood there watching her walk away yet again and wondering where this captivating woman was going and when he would see her again.


	5. Chapter Four

Poe was waiting for Rey when she made it back to their village. He was at the entrance with his arms crossed over his chest and his face was scrunched up in a frown. Rey already knew that she was going to be in trouble with Poe the moment he realized that she was gone. On queue, he said, “And just where did you disappear off to today?”

Rey held up the basket with the treats and other things she had bought at the market that day. “I went into the town to get some things, I saw a sweet shop when we were there the other day that I wanted to check out. I got some gingerbread for you.” She pulled it out and handed it over to him, “You’re welcome.”

Poe took the gingerbread from her and took a bite out of it, “It’s good, but I’m still mad that you left without an escort.”

The two of them headed deeper into the village and Rey began eating a few of the candied almonds Ben had convinced her to buy. “No one knows that I’m the hooded figure robbing them, Poe. Relax, I know what I’m doing.”

Poe gently grabbed for her arm and tugged her to a stop. When she looked up at him instead of the angry look he had given her earlier he actually looked nervous. “Rey, I know that you want to believe that you’re okay going out there, but it’s still dangerous. What if someone gets suspicious of you and they followed you back here. You’re putting the others in danger.”

Rey glanced around at the others in her village. They had been the ones that had fled the same night she had and other refugees that Leia and her little resistance had managed to take in when Sheriff Palpatine. She knew the risk she was taking, and she knew that she shouldn’t lie to Poe about what she was doing, but Rey was tired of hiding. She was tired of everyone living in fear.

“I’m one woman, no one will ever pay attention to me,” she sighed as she gently freed her arm from Poe’s grasp and began heading toward her home. “Come on, I want to get something to eat.”

Poe watched her as she walked away for a few seconds and wondered what was going on inside her head. She was planning something and Poe was worried that it wasn’t going to go the way she was thinking it would.

Palpatine paced back and forth in his office, his hands clasped behind his back. Hux and Ben were sitting behind the desk watching him as he paced. At one point they glanced at one another, both wondering why the sheriff had called them to his office. He hadn’t spoken since they had arrived and to be honest both men were a little afraid that they had done something to anger him.

“I’m tired of this bandit making off with the gold,” he finally spoke. “I’m tired of the failure. She has become a thorn in my side since the very beginning. There haven’t been any sightings of her recently, and while that’s good, I want to know why that is.”

“Sir,” Hux began to speak. “Maybe the increase in guards has scared her off. She is only a woman after all.”

Palpatine slammed his hands down on the desk causing both men to jump slightly in their seats. “I don’t care if she’s just a woman!” He shouted at them. “That woman has done more damage to my reputation than I can even begin to describe. Padme Amidala was another woman that almost ruined all my plans and almost took my young apprentice away from me.” His eyes cut over to Ben, but the reason why was lost to Ben. “I don’t care if she is a woman, they are more dangerous than men give them credit for.”

Hux sat back in his seat and his frown deepened, but he was wise and didn’t comment further. “Sir,” Ben began to speak. “I think if we want to catch this vigilante then we need to set a trap for her. As Hux said he has increased the guard patrolling the town and the roads leading into town, but what if that has scared her off? We need to lead her into a false sense of security.”

Palpatine eyed him with interest, “Continue.”

“What if we scaled back the guards and did fewer patrols of the roads leading into town? See if that draws her out of wherever she’s hiding. We let her steal a few shipments of gold, try to follow her back to wherever she’s hiding, and then we plan a full-scale attack.”

“Sir, I don’t think--” Hux began to speak up, but Palpatine raised a hand to silence him.

“You want to willingly risk gold in order to capture the woman?”

Ben hesitated not sure what was going through Palpatine’s head at the moment, “Yes sir, she’s smart, but maybe if we can lull her into a false sense of security we can finally get some information on where she goes with the gold and we go from there.”

Palpatine was studying Ben while Hux was fuming, clearly the other man wanted to speak up against the idea. At last, Palpatine said, “All right. We will give your idea a try. Hux, I expect you to cooperate on this and help Ben take this vigilante down.”

“Yes sir,” Hux spat out, clearly not okay with the thought of helping Ben with his plan. The two men exited Palpatine’s office and said, “Your plan is going to fail. Why Sheriff Palpatine puts so much faith in you I will never understand.”

“Maybe he knows that I can actually get things done when he asks,” Ben spat back.

Hux was turning red the angrier he got, “Listen here you pompous--”

“I think General Pride is trying to flag you down, Hux. I’d go see what he wants before you anger him,” Ben said as he peeled himself away from the ever constant thorn in his side.

He could still feel Hux glaring at him as he went, but Ben heard the sound of General Pride speaking to the other man and knew he was in the clear. Ben found solace in his room where he laid back on his bed and stared up at the ceiling. His thoughts drifted to Rey and wondering how she was doing and if she made it to her home safely.

She really shouldn’t be out alone when there was the vigilante problem. At least when she was with her brother she wasn’t alone. But alone she would be a prime target for the vigilante. He wondered if there would be some way to convince her to let him walk her home, and that would give him the perfect excuse to spend more time with her. 

He rolled onto his side and closed his eyes hoping to keep the image of Rey in his mind for a little while longer.

Leia was sitting in the drawing room staring out the window as Rey practiced with her bow and arrow in the yard. Han was outside with her as well as Poe. The older woman was wondering if she should have involved Rey in her plans for taking Palpatine down and keeping the truth hidden from her as well. Leia knew why Palpatine wanted to get his hands on her, it was the same reason he had taken Ben when he was younger.

Leia squeezed her eyes shut as she thought of her only son. She wanted to believe that he was all right and still remembered her, but she knew that Palpatine would make sure he didn’t remember his life with his family. She wondered what Rey’s fate would be if he managed to get his hands on her.

The front door opened and Luke stepped inside, his gaze immediately fell on his twin sister and he knew where her mind had gone. “Leia,” he sighed as he stepped further into his sister’s home and took a seat across from her. “Stop thinking about it.”

Leia’s eyes left Rey’s figure and turned toward her brother, “How do you know what I’m thinking about?”

Luke chuckled, “We’re twins, I always know when something is on that mind of yours. You were thinking about telling Rey the truth about who Palpatine really is. Am I wrong?”

Leia shook her head, “No, you’re not wrong. I just feel awful for keeping this from her. This is something that affects her and she’s being kept in the dark. She has a right to know.”

“What good will knowing do her?” Luke asked. “It will only make her angrier. She will go on the warpath trying to tear him down then, she’ll be unbalanced.”

“But won’t it be worse if she finds out on her own and then she finds out that we knew and didn’t tell her?” Leia countered. She knew that Luke was right and that Rey would be on the warpath when she learned the truth, but what would happen if Leia kept the secret from her for much longer?

Luke was quiet as he pondered his sister’s question, “I’m not going to tell you what to do. I doubt I can make you not do anything that you’ve already set your mind to anyway. Just be careful when you tell her, this news will shift her entire world.”

“I know, and I will. I just believe that she deserves to know,” Leia said as she looked back at Rey one more time.


	6. Chapter Five ~ Flashback

Dai Palpatine hadn’t expected to fall in love with a peasant girl from the town, but there had been no denying his feelings. Nomi Jakku had been working for one of the local seamstresses when Dai had come into the shop to get some of his clothes mended. She hadn’t known he was Sheriff Palpatine’s only son at the time, she had just thought he was handsome.

After he had left the seamstress had smacked her and called her a trollop for throwing herself at the Sheriff’s son as she had. Nomi had hidden herself away in the back of the shop after that as the other girls had giggled and spoken harshly about her.

Soon Dai kept returning, sometimes destroying his own clothes to see her. Sometimes she wouldn’t even say a word to him and sometimes as soon as he entered the shop she would hide. He had wondered what had happened from the bright and beautiful smile she had given him the first time they had met to this very moment now.

He finally ran into her one day as she ran errands for her mistress. “You’ve been avoiding me,” he said, startling her.

“My Lord!” She had cried as she clutched a hand to her chest. Her hazel eyes were wide as she met his gaze, there was a bashful smile on his face.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. It’s just this is the first time I’ve seen you outside of the seamstress’s shop and I wanted to talk to you.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “You’ve been avoiding me.”

Nomi straightened her spine and stepped around him, “I’m sorry, My Lord, but I am very busy and I have things that I need to do. I can’t stand here and chat idly.”

Dai matched her pace, “Please, at least tell me your name so that I can call upon you when I enter the shop.”

Nomi paused and looked up at him, “I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong impression, my Lord. I had no idea you were Sheriff Palpatine’s son, I shouldn’t have been so forward with you that day.”

Dai frowned, “You weren’t forward at all, we were merely conversing as two people normally would. I quite enjoyed it as well. I was hoping that you would let me escort you out for a day sometime. I want to get to know you better.”

Nomi wasn’t sure if she were hearing him correctly or not. Had he just said that he wanted to get to know her better? “Wouldn’t Sheriff Palpatine prefer it if his only son married someone from a noble home versus a lowly seamstress’s apprentice?”

Dai leaned down and quietly said, “Who said I cared about what my father wants?”

She bit back a smile and said, “Fine, but I’m not going to be easy to win over. I want something real and not something that is going to end with me heartbroken because you were only using me for your own pleasures.”

Dai had to admit that he liked how strong she was and he held out his hand to her, “You have yourself a deal, Miss…?”

If he were going to be courting her then she needed to give him her name, “Nomi Jakku.”

The smile that he gave her was contagious and she gave him a small one back. From the shadows though there was someone watching them. The man sneered and backed away from the scene. He headed through the town toward Sheriff Palpatine’s home to reveal what he had just seen.

The guards let him inside and led him to the study where Sheriff Palpatine was seated behind a desk looking over reports that had just come in. As the door to his office opened though he looked up and said, “Count Dooku, what a surprise. What brings you here?”

“I thought that you should know something I just witnessed, Sheriff Palpatine. Something between your son and a peasant girl,” Count Dooku seemed to spit the word ‘peasant’ out as if it were something sour. “It seems he wishes to court the girl.”

Sheriff Palpatine sat back in his seat and frowned, “Well, well, well this won’t do.” He steepled his fingers together and said, “I heard that you recently acquired a spy, yes?” Count Dooku nodded his head. “Send him to spy on my son and this girl. Keep me abreast of any developments between the two.”

“Of course, Sheriff. I wouldn’t want your good name to be sullied because of this, I shall send word once I have more information,” he bowed slightly and backed out of the room.

Palpatine stood and headed toward the windows in his office. Through the panes of glass, he saw his son returning home from wherever he had been. Palpatine’s eyes narrowed and wondered what would come of this latest interest in the young peasant girl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Flashback chapters aren't going to be often, but I thought they'd provide nice background information. Since the movies never gave Rey's parents names I decided on Dai and Nomi.


	7. Chapter Six

The air was warm and filled with the scent of fresh flowers as Rey made her way down a worn path toward the lake. She had a book in hand and was planning on spending some time by herself. It had been a few days since she had seen Ben for the second time and Poe was watching her like a hawk. His worry was appreciated, but not necessary. Sometimes he was really like her older protective brother and it drove her a bit crazy.

As she broke through the trees to the clearing, she discovered that she was not alone at the lake. Standing so that the water was at his waist was a shirtless man. Water droplets were running down his bare back, and Rey could feel the heat rising to her cheeks at having caught someone in a private moment. She turned to leave but the man turned and caught sight of her, “Who’s there?”

When Rey turned she was met with the realization that it was Ben and she felt her heart pick up its pace slightly. “I’m sorry,” she called as she slowly made her way closer to the lake. “I didn’t realize anyone would be here. I came for a moment alone.”

Ben blinked, his brain trying to process what was happening at that moment, “Lady Kira, this is a surprise.” He glanced down and realized that he was not currently wearing a shirt and he quickly scrambled for the discarded item at the edge of the lake.

Rey bit her lip trying not to giggle at his flustered state. Who knew that the Sheriff's imposing protege was able to become flustered by his state of undress in front of a woman. “I’m sorry for the surprise,” she offered. “As I said I wasn’t expecting anyone to be here.”

He waved off her apology, “There’s no need to be sorry, Lady Kira. I didn’t think I would be discovered here.” He came to stand in front of her and Rey craned her neck to meet his gaze. “I can’t say that this was an unpleasant surprise. I haven’t seen you in the town lately, I was beginning to fear I wouldn’t see you ever again.”

Rey smiled and shook her head, “No, I just haven’t had a reason to go into the town recently. I’ve been helping my brother and our parents around the house. With spring here we’ve been prepping for the warmer months.”

Ben nodded in understanding, he knew that more and more people were preparing for the warmth of the summer months now that winter was losing its grip on the world. “I take it you’re here to get some distance from your family then?”

“Yes, they are a bit overbearing at times and I used to come here often as a child with a friend of mine with our parents when we were children,” she admitted. "I love it here,” she moved closer to the lake and spread the blanket she had brought with her. “Do you want to join me? I brought some food.”

She didn’t need to ask Ben twice as he moved to join her by the lakeside. “I wonder how we’ve never crossed paths here before. I consider this my secret spot as well when I need to get away from my superiors and fellow men.”

Rey glanced at him before reaching into the basket she had brought to bring out the food she had. “I don’t come here often much anymore. As I said I used to come here with a friend, but he was.... well he was taken when he was younger, and after he was taken everyone said I no longer wished to come here to play. I guess my younger self just didn't feel right coming here without him by my side.”

Ben grew concerned, “Did he ever return? Do you know what happened to him?”

Rey shook her head, “No, we never did learn what happened to him. I often wonder how he’s doing and if he’s okay, but I try not to think about him too much.” She finally finished pulling out her food and looked back at Ben with a sad sort of smile on her face. “The woman I consider my mother now was his mother. We used to play together as kids because our parents lived side by side. My adoptive mother once told me that they and my real parents had considered arranging a marriage between us.”

That wasn’t a lie. Leia had once confessed that her parents and she and Han had considered arranging a marriage between Rey and their son. They had decided to wait until the two of them were older to see instead of trying to force a marriage on the two young children and potentially straining the budding friendship. When Rey was a teenager she sometimes would think about what would have transpired between the two of them as they grew older. Would they have remained good friends or turned into something more? She tried not to let her mind wander down that topic too far because it only made her sad to think about something that could never be.

“What was his name?” Ben asked curiously.

Rey let out a breath, “I can’t remember, he disappeared when he was five and I was three. Leia never speaks his name and hardly ever talks about him. It’s hard for her to think about him, I know she regrets what happened terribly and blames herself for it.”

“I’m truly sorry that you all had to go through with that,” Ben responded sincerely. “Maybe one day you’ll find him again.”

Rey was quiet, her eyes drifting away from his face and toward the lake, “I’ve given up hope of finding him again. It’s been so long now, and he probably has no idea who we are or who he even is.”

They fell silent and Rey cursed herself for even bringing her lost friend up in the first place. He didn’t need to hear about her life in such great detail. She had never opened up like this before either. She could barely remember the young boy who had been her friend before Poe ever came into her life. She only really knew the things that Leia told her about him, but deep down she felt as though they had been something more.

She felt that if they had managed to grow up together like they were supposed to then she and he would have been inseparable. Now she may never know though because of Sheriff Palpatine. And sitting here beside his right-hand man felt like a dishonor to her friend, to the boy who had been stolen by the man. Her fist clenched the blanket tightly and she gritted her teeth, anger welling up inside her as if a dam had been broken releasing all of her negative emotions. 

This was wrong. She shouldn’t be fraternizing with the enemy like this.

But then again this was for her friend, for Leia and Han, and especially for her parents. This was for everyone that had ever been hurt by Palpatine and his band of murderers and thieves. The people didn't deserve to live in fear like this, they deserved a better life than what they were given. She had to stay strong for them and see this through until the end.

“Lady Kira?” Ben’s voice sounded curious and she hadn’t realized that he had been staring at her intently while a murderous look had crossed her features. “Are you all right? Have I said something that offended you?”

She tried to shake herself out of the dark thoughts that were circling in her mind. She smiled at him, but even he could see that it was forced, “No, you haven’t said anything of the sort. I’m sorry, I just rarely talk about this and it brought out emotions I had long since thought I buried.”

“Let’s talk about something else then, shall we?” Rey nodded her head, thankful that he was changing the subject. “What had you planned to do today?”

Rey reached into the basket and pulled out the book she had brought along with her, “I had planned to read if I’m being honest. I haven’t had peace and quiet to do so, and my father recently brought this book back from one of his travels.” Han had been away before her last raid on Palpatine’s men. Whenever he came back from wherever he had gone he always brought Rey back a book. Leia hated what Han did more than she hated Rey and her raids on the Sheriff's caravans. He was a smuggler and he took the money that Rey stole to give it to those that were less fortunate and more affected by Sheriff Palpatine. He had almost been caught several times, but Leia and Rey both knew that Han would never be deterred from his job.

Ben held out his hand and she gently placed the book in his grasp. He read the title and smiled, “ _Beauty and the Beast_ , I have to confess that I have a copy of this resting on my shelf at home.”

“You read?” Rey said startled. She hadn’t expected him to admit that out loud, most of the men that served Palpatine seemed to be brutes and have little interest in literature.

Ben laughed and Rey felt her breath catch, it was such a carefree sound that it took her by surprise, “Are men not allowed to read, Lady Kira?”

Rey swallowed and shook her head, “No, that’s not what I meant. I simply thought that you would have better things to do rather than read about a romance between a cursed man and a beautiful woman. Most men don’t bother with romance literature.”

“Then I guess I am not most men,” his laughter had turned to a light chuckle. “It’s an excellent book; your father has wonderful tastes in books. Do you have a favorite story?”

There were so many stories that Rey loved, she loved anything that could take her away to a better place or give her hope in the world around her. She may not have been a proper lady all the time but she was not beneath loving romance and the more feminine side of literature. “ _ A Midsummer Night’s Dream _ has been a favorite of mine. I love Shakespeare’s lighter works versus the heavier topics he tackled.”

“I would have imagined you more as a _Romeo and Juliet_ fan, but I’m pleasantly surprised by your choice. And by chance the local theater is putting on a production of  _ A Midsummer Night’s Dream _ next week, would you accompany me to a performance?” 

An image of Poe came unbidden into her mind, but she shoved the thought of him away. “I would love too,” the two of them smiled at one another, and conversation flowed much easier after that. They continued to discuss books and Rey found herself forgetting who she was sitting next to for just a moment. Just for a moment, she imagined Ben as a friend, as someone who understood her. And for that moment the fight she was waging against him and Palpatine was nonexistent and she let herself be free.


End file.
